I really enjoyed working on this evaluation. Some time ago, I had earmarked the month of November to work on the Nines and Vines queen size quilt that will ultimately be used as a major fundraiser for the Stan Cassidy Foundation (Rehab Center). So when I was contacted by a representative of Brother, I thought what a perfect opportunity to evaluate a new machine in a way that was exactly how I would use it day to day. And I did just that. It turns out that I'm a couple of days short of finishing the Nines and Vines, but the major components are done and I certainly have hours and hours of sewing straight stitch, free motion quilting, and applique. I think all this gives me an excellent feel for how this machine works.
There are dozens of things that I noted that were really special and I should have kept a little notebook beside the machine because I've probably forgotten some things. I'll share with you the highlights...
As a quilter/sewer I tend to do 99% of the same stitches. That would be straight stitch, free-motion/machine quilting work and applique.
The straight stitch, while not usually notable, I was impressed that this machine came with a single stitch throat plate. I used it. The hours of straight stitch that I did were flawless. I was also impressed with the thread cutter. I had one on my sewing machine, and it never worked like it should.. Also with the straight stitch, I used the specialty twin needle that came with the machine. It's been a long time since I used the twin needle and I loved how it stitched perfectly and the back side of the twin stitch seam was thin and tidy. On the topic of straight stitch, I am used to an integrated walking foot and I use this when I do all my quarter inch seams. While this machine does come with a traditional walking foot, I found that I rather stitch with the quarter inch foot rather than the walking foot and sacrifice the even feed capability.
I really liked how the free motion stitching was very smooth and the stitches were very nice. It was easy to adjust the tension to get the perfect combination of top and bobbin thread. My favorite foot was the open toe free motion foot. Loved it. Didn't even try the others...
I love that there was good light shining directly below the needle. That's a problem on my machines, so it was a delight to have light where I needed it.
The accessory extension table made for a nice large work area. A must for quilters now a days... I left it on the whole time I had it for testing. Now I need one for my other machine :).
I liked how easy this machine was to thread. It's marked with numbers, so it's "Thread by Number". The needle threader worked every time. My sight isn't what it used to be, so the threader is welcome. The spring action of the threader does give a big clunk when it threads, but it threads every time which is good.
I had trouble using my pre-would bobbins. I tried two different kinds without success, but it's not the first time I've had trouble with pre-wounds. I guess it's trial and error with every machine.
The applique worked wonderful for me. I used Sulky invisible thread and adjusted the tension so that the bobbin thread didn't show. I stitched applique for about 12 hours of stitching my vines, so I think I'm an expert on the applique on the Brother. Thank goodness for the pivot function. It's a life-saver because did you know that 5 pointed stars have 10 sides! Pivoting made this job very easy. There are many stitches available to do applique and I'm sure that a quilter will use many of these stitches for various works of art. I tested 3 and chose my favorite to use with the invisible thread.
I really enjoyed having this Brother NX-2000 and would feel comfortable recommending this machine to fellow quilters and sewers.
1 comment:
I enjoyed reading your review! I, too, was sad to see this machine leave when I was finished reviewing it.
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